I don’t know what happened but it’s already the end of November and in a few days it’s only a month until Christmas?! This year went quick – that’s for sure!
The last couple of weeks I’ve been planning what to do next year in modelling. What projects to undertake and which group builds to join, and I think I’ve committed to more than I’d planned to in both departments…
Projects and group builds.
In June I started looking into a sort of a list what was required to build a complete WWII German tank destroyer lineup in 1/35 scale but I quickly realised that this was unrealistic. It would take a couple of years to do for sure! I’ve still got the list and I will add to it as I’ve built yet another tank destroyer, but I’m not trying to work according to that list. Not yet anyway… The idea of a bigger project was still tempting and I’ve been trying to find something that would be both fun and rewarding but nothing really popped up.
After I had built the Maus and had just begun building the Landkreuzer P.1000 Ratte I came up with the plan to build a lineup of the tanks listed as Wunderwaffe! This would be a mighty lineup for sure I thought and started to look at wikipedia which tanks were listed there and it seemed doable within reasonable time. Sadly I hit a snag when the first item on the list – Kugelpanzer – was no longer available in 1/35 scale… It had existed as a resin kit but was now only available in 1/72 scale. It was going to have to be scratch built. I’m still working on the Wunderwaffe lineup, filling the stash that is, and I only miss Panzer VII Löwe and the Kugelpanzer to complete it. Ok, I haven’t got a Landkreuzer P.1000 Ratte in 1/35 scale – mine’s in 1/144 scale, but I’ve drawn up the plans for building one in 1/35 scale but that’ll take at least six months to fabricate and complete so it’s going to have to wait – but it’s a solid and feasible project in the future!
Projects I have committed to are the Entwicklungsfahrzeug Sammlung (a complete lineup of all E-series tanks from the E-5 to the E-100, including several variants!) and the 1/72 scale Schwerer Gustav diorama, based on the HobbyBoss Dora kit. This diorama will include several Flak units, support crew, armoured trains and whatever else I can dig up in the history books that was supporting this monster as it was assembled and used on the eastern front in Russia! The Entwicklungsfahrzeug Sammlung will also be presented on a smaller diorama, but more as a lineup in front of some sort of factory background. I think anyway. Should be plenty to do in 2018!
(The Entwicklungsfahrzeug Sammlung started out as the E-100 Triplets project but soon grew into what it is now)
I’ve also joined a couple of group builds that starts the 1:st of January. First is the AA-gun group build. I’m building the Amusing Hobby E-100 Flakzwilling 35A016 for this group build and it’s going to be part of the Entwicklungsfahrzeug Sammlung when it’s done.
My second group build is a Panther build and I’ve planned to build the new Takom Panther A as soon as it’s released in 2018. I’ve got the whole year to finish the Panther so there should be plenty of time… 😉
The third, and final, group build is the “Stop the pigeon” group build – which is a homage to Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines with aim to build a flying contraption just like the ones they used in the tv show to catch the pigeon. All these three group builds are on the forum at www.scale-models.co.uk
On the bench
Currently I’ve got a couple of models on the bench. Trumpeter E-25, Amusing Hobby Jagdpanther II, Amusing Hobby E-100 35A015 and Revell Horten Ho (Go) 229. I’ve also got a table of shame with too many models just primed waiting for paint and weathering… They’ve ended up there because of different reasons, but mostly when my initial paint scheme idea didn’t look so great in reality and I need more inspiration to finish them. It’s quite nice to have though those evenings when I just feel like painting and I can grab a model and just get started! I’ve promised myself to not park any more models on that table this year – and it’s a promise I’m trying to abide to… 😉
I’m also trying to finish the Mk.IV diorama but I’ve hit a scenery blank. I’ve had to change direction a little and I’m struggling to find reference material in order to finish the diorama/vignette… Not much left to do but it’s the finishing touches that are the hardest…
Reviews
I’ve got many reviews being done right now as well but it takes time to review a kit because I refuse to just look at the sprues and make a guess – I build ALL the kits I review, otherwise they wouldn’t be of much use to any of you. There are at least five reviews on their way out.
Other?
2017 was the year when I got back into modelling again after a hiatus and it was exactly what I needed! Most people don’t know this but I’ve been forced to retire on medical grounds after a severe accident which put me in a wheelchair for a bit more than three years, constant spinal pain and nasty surgeries – with another major surgery soon coming up unless there are further problems with the disks in my lower spine, but modelling allowed me to be creative again and something I can put down at any time and then pick up again when my body is better for a while and just go on like that. All my other hobbies have been put on hold until, and if, I ever get better so modelling in a way saved me from total boredom! It’s a fantastic hobby that also teaches you history and engineering – all from a few pieces of plastic! Scale modelling should be taught in school!
I’ve got a healthy stash at the moment and they’re all going to be built because I don’t buy kits just to collect them. Currently I think I’ve got more than enough to last me until 2019 but I know the stash is going to grow a fair bit until next year is over… hehehe…
I hope you’ve had a great modelling year? I’ve certainly had that, and I hope you all have excited projects and group builds lined up for January and onward! 🙂
Happy modelling!
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